Across the Desert
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: AU. Amestris is falling apart, and Riza Hawkeye finds herself captured by slave trader from Xing. But that's only the beginning.
1. Captive

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU and was previously posted as part of An Apple a Day.

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**Captive**

Riza Hawkeye was different from the rest of the slaves, and everyone knew it. From the slavers themselves to the other slaves, they all had realized that she was something different. Part of it was the fact that Riza was somehow defiant despite the fact that she complied with the orders given her. Slavery hadn't broken her yet. But what people weren't aware of was the fact that Riza actually knew what was going on. She could speak the language of her captors, not that she was going to tell anybody that. However, she did have a problem.

The fact that she was currently bound for the capitol of Xing and a life of slavery was not a pleasant one. However, existence in Amestris right now wasn't exactly pleasant either. Riza didn't know how things had degenerated so quickly. Her best source of information about that had disappear just before the government had begun putting heavy restrictions on everything from public meetings to what food people could buy. Men were being drafted into the army at increasing rates, and violence and lawlessness had been on the rise. It really wasn't any safer there.

And Riza did have contacts in Xing. She just didn't know if she would be able to get in touch with them. Her father's former student was the son of a Xing noblewoman. After her father's death, Roy had told her that she could call upon him for anything. But that still meant that she had to find a way to contact him. Riza wasn't sure how to do that now. Roy has been planning on joining the military and becoming a State Alchemist. In fact, Riza had given him her father's research on flame alchemy in order to do so. However, Roy had never showed up at the state trials, and things had gotten so bad more quickly than Riza could find out what might have happened to him.

She was pretty sure that she was still alive. Riza knew Roy well enough to know that he would oppose what the government had done, and the government would make a big deal out of capturing and executing him. She just didn't know where he was currently. Roy had always been something of an oddity. He was the son of a highly ranked Xing noblewoman and a wealthy Amestrian merchant. He'd been raised with a combination of Amestrian and Xing ideals and values and could move easily in both cultures. It had been his aunt who had sent him to study with Riza's father. That was when he and Riza had met.

Riza would admit that she had developed a crush on the man. He was three years older than she was, and he was one of the few males that she had met who had always treated her as an equal. His friendship had always meant more to her than that crush, and her father had kept and romantic attachment between them from really developing. But Roy was her best chance of making a decent life for herself at this point. She just had to make sure she survived to find and contact him.

Her captors were actually helping with that. Riza had been listening in on their conversations. Amestrians made for fairly exotic slaves, and this group was being taken straight to the capitol to be sold to the nobility. The slavers expected to get quite good prices for all of them, and that meant both keeping them all alive and well, but also not injuring or damaging them in any way. And that was why Riza had made no attempt to escape as of yet. Well, that and the fact that she knew that she couldn't easily survive in the desert on her own. She had some tentative plans for what do when they reached the capitol, but it was hard to plan when she didn't have the details she needed.

With a sigh, Riza shifted on her meager pallet, trying to find a more comfortable position to sleep in. Not that she was very likely to get much sleep. Riza had been sleeping lightly ever since she had been captured. It meant that she woke at every little sound or disturbance, but it was better than being caught off guard. There were only a few more days before they reached the capitol now. Once they were in the capitol, Riza had some decisions to make about what to do.

She could try and escape. That was probably her best option if she could manage it. If she was sold to someone, it might be easier to escape from them, but Riza wasn't sure she could wait that out for a good opportunity. Of course, what would be the best possible outcome would be for Roy to be at the slave auction and for him to buy her. Riza didn't think that was too likely. For one thing, Roy didn't believe in slavery, and Riza doubted he owned any slaves if he was here in Xing. So, she would probably have to figure something else out.

Riza sighed again softly and fingered the excessively long chain that kept her bound to the tent pole. She wasn't sure what she was going to do or what she would do next. Riza didn't really like that, but she couldn't change it. She tried to clear her mind. She needed the rest. When they reached the capitol, she would need to be alert and ready to act.

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Theme: Excessive Chain


	2. For Sale

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**For Sale**

Roy was not amused. He actually rather hated this, but there really wasn't anyone else who could deal with this particular problem. At least he wasn't stuck going to the slave market alone. Both Maes and Gracia had been coming with him. Gracia's presence was a godsend. She made things much less awkward when they ended up with female captives. Since things had gone crazy in Amestris, Roy had been keeping an eye on the slave markets in order to try and rescue anyone he could, and especially anyone who might be able to help fix things in Amestris at some point.

It had worked pretty well so far. They had managed to rescue about a dozen people all together from slavery in the past three months. That might not seem like a lot, but the truth of the matter was there weren't a lot of Amestrians being caught by the slavers. More than usual, but still not a lot. Though some of the people who had been caught were proving to be quite interesting. Edward and Alphonse Elric for example. The boys might technically still be children, but they were better alchemists than many adults Roy knew. With them had been Winry Rockbell and her grandmother. Pinako Rockbell was now introducing the innovations of automail to Xing, and the four of them had settled in to their new life fairly well.

But Roy was still worried. He didn't have a good intelligence network back in Amestris, and he hated not knowing what was going on there. Especially since he hadn't had a chance to contact Riza at all before he'd left. He hoped that she was all right. Roy had been very careful about letting people know just where he had learned alchemy, so she should be safe enough on that front. If the current government ever learned about the secrets Riza carried, she would be in a great deal of danger. Even if they didn't, Riza's options would be rather limited now. He had hated leaving her behind, but he had needed to get out of the country quickly, and there hadn't been time to see Riza or even contact her.

With a sigh, Roy set his face into a mask to hide how he really felt about these damn slave auctions. If it were up to him, the things would be banned. However, Roy might be related to the royal family, but his foreign blood would forever prevent him from playing more than a minor role in the government. In truth, Roy had preferred living in Amestris. But then that was before the government there had showed its true colors.

"I know you don't like this, Roy, but do stop looking like human storm cloud," Maes' voice jolted him out of his thoughts. "But at this rate you're likely to scare our people to death before we can rescue them."

Roy sighed. "Sorry, Maes. Let's just get this over with."

The two men headed on into the building that housed the capitol's slave auctions. It didn't take long for one of the staff to recognize Roy as nobility and whisk the two of them off to a private gallery and had called in the newest shipment of exotics. Roy did his best to keep his face blank as the people were paraded before him. It was hard. Most of the people that he was shown had already given up. They had accepted the fact that they were now slaves, and that more than anything made Roy worry for Amestris. Even just last year, most of the people captured by slavers from Amestris would have fought and been much more defiant.

"We have a few more women, sir, that all would make lovely companions," the auctioneer beside Roy wheedled.

Maes motioned for the man to bring them in. Roy went absolutely still, his eyes locked on to one particular woman. Her blond hair was longer than he remembered and her eyes were a little more haunted than they had been before, but he knew her. She wasn't the prettiest of the group she was in, but she was his Riza. He was practically trembling with rage.

"Her," Roy growled. "I want her."

The official practically ran to get the paperwork. Roy ignored him, and let Maes deal with the transaction. His eyes remained locked with Riza's. Her expression might be smooth, but her eyes reflected anger, fear, and hope. More than anything, Roy wanted to gather Riza up in his arms and not let go. However, he knew that it would be better not to call attention to her just yet. Maes thankfully did not take long haggling over the price, and soon enough the three of them were on their way back to the townhouse Roy had taken up residence in.

Riza was quiet on their way there, and so were both the men and Gracia. Technically, she was still a slave, and there were rules about how a slave could act in public. Riza wasn't going to a slave for long, but that didn't mean that avoiding trouble right now wasn't a good idea. Roy really didn't need to draw any attention to his current activities. They weren't exactly illegal, but it would be best if no one outside of his conspirators knew about them.

However, once they were safely inside, Roy yanked Riza into his arms and held her close.

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Theme: Hug


	3. Sanctuary

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Sanctuary**

Riza held onto Roy just as tightly as he was holding her. Part of her was certain that this was all a dream. It was just too perfect, too coincidental that Roy had been the first person she had been shown to since arriving in the capitol city. Part of her didn't care of about that though. She was finally safe. Though as comforting as this embrace was, it didn't take Riza long to realize that the other two people who had been with Roy were staring at them.

She made to disengage herself from Roy, but soon found that a hopeless cause. But Roy did shift them so he could keep a hold of her and converse with the others at the same time.

"Maes, Gracia, this is Riza Hawkeye."

Understanding dawned in both of their eyes. Clearly they knew who she was even if she didn't know who they were. The woman, Gracia, flashed her a smile.

"I'll go get one of the guest rooms set up for her then."

Maes gripped Roy's shoulder and said something about taking care of the paperwork before following after Gracia. And that left Riza alone with Roy. She almost immediately found herself engulfed in an embrace once again.

"Thank god you're all right," Roy's voice was rough. "They didn't hurt you, did they? I mean, I know that slaves that are going to be sold to the nobility are treated fairly well, but that doesn't mean that things don't happen. I was so angry and scared when I saw you there--"

Riza cut off his rambling by pressing a finger to his lips.

"I'm fine. They didn't do anything that harmed me." She offered a half smile. "I will say that you certainly made my escaping much easier than I had expected."

Roy laughed. "Why doesn't it surprise me that you had an escape planned? Well, you're safe enough now, and once Maes gets the paperwork finished, you'll be a free woman as well. I don't keep slaves."

She had no doubts about that. Roy kept an arm around her waist as he led her into the sitting room. The house was an odd combination of both Amestrian and Xing styles. Though Riza was quite happy find regular chairs in the sitting room. She didn't really feel up to sitting on the floor right now. Riza actually did know the basics of Xing customs thanks to the years Roy had lived with her, but she wasn't up to muddling her way through them right now. So she sank gratefully into one of the chairs, and let Roy fuss over her.

Riza knew him well enough to realize that he did need to get it out of his system. It wasn't like he could have really done anything about her capture and brief time as a slave, and given that he couldn't really do anything to those responsible, his frustration was being redirected into fussing over her. And quite truthfully, right now she didn't mind a little pampering right now. The last few months had been stressful and grueling, and Riza was definitely feeling rather worse for the wear.

Roy was frowning at her. "When was the last time you had a decent meal?"

"Define decent."

He just shook his head. "Never mind. I'm feeding you a proper meal, and then you can go take a bath. We'll see what Gracia can dig up for you to wear. I don't think you'll fit anything of hers, but I'm sure she can scrounge up something."

Riza laughed. It sounded like a decent enough plan to her. It would be nice to have a chance to catch her breath and find out just what was going on. Then they could worry about what to do next about everything.

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Theme: Against All Odds


	4. Going Native

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Going Native**

The style and the color of the clothes were unfamiliar, but as long as she could move easily in them, Riza doesn't care too much. She attracted more attention the streets than she liked, but unless she wanted to dye her hair, it was inevitable. Blonds were not common in Xing. She had been here in the capitol nearly three weeks now, and Riza was finally getting used to the looks and stares she attracted when she went out. Roy rarely went out without her any more. Riza had appointed herself his bodyguard once he had explained what he was doing. Just because there hadn't been any attempts on his life yet didn't mean there wouldn't be any at all.

Because what Roy was up to exactly could very well be a problem for the current government of Amestris. Roy was bound and determined not to their country simply go to hell in a hand basket. Ever since he'd arrived in Xing with a small contingent of trusted allies, Roy had been gathering what refugees he from Amestris that he could, and slowly they were working on a plan that would allow them to take back Amestris. It was a good plan, though rather dangerous. But Riza wasn't planning on letting Roy walk around without some sort protection.

It had taken the two of them nearly a week to find Riza a pair of guns that she approved of. One of her few talents was her marksmanship, and Riza felt much more comfortable with the weight of her firearms tucked in her clothes. Roy wasn't entirely happy with the idea of her putting herself in danger in order to protect him, but he had been overruled. Besides, it was something that Riza could do help with this, and she felt the need to be useful. She wasn't a strategist or an analyst or even an alchemist. Quite truthfully, Riza's greatest skills in her mind were her marksmanship and her ability to keep Roy Mustang on task whether he wanted to be or not.

As it turned out, the last was proving to be a rather valuable skill. Or as his friend Maes had put it:

"Thank god. Now we don't have to call his mother all the time."

Roy was very good at staying on task when it came to things he was interested in like alchemy. When it came to things like reading reports or various other mundane tasks that came with running an operation like his, Roy could be easily distracted if left on his own. That's what Riza was now there to prevent. And truthfully, she didn't mind spending most of her time with Roy. While she had gotten to know Maes and Gracia rather well (as they also shared Roy's townhouse), Riza did not know most of the others involved in their little conspiracy, and she never had been one who was comfortable with strangers.

There was one thing that Riza was rather uncertain about, and that was what exactly her relationship with Roy was. Then again, their relationship had always been rather undefined. It had never been simply cut and dried as friendship or the student and the teacher's daughter. The two of them had been always been close, but they had never really defined that closeness. Riza trusted Roy with all her secrets save one: the fact that she might have developed deeper feelings than just friendship for him.

What his feelings were for her, she wasn't really sure. There were time when Roy acted like she was the most important thing in the world to him, and then there were times when he acted like she was the same as any of his other people. He wasn't giving her very clear signals here. In public, she could understand. Xing had some strange rules that governed the interaction of men and women in public. But in private, couldn't he just give her some hint of what he was feeling. But Riza was used to bearing things silently, so she continued to wait and watch and hope.

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Theme: A Relation of Mutual Trust


	5. New Paths

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**New Paths**

Roy was feeling rather torn. He couldn't quite decide what to do about his feelings for Riza. He was in love with her; that wasn't in question. But what exactly to do about the feelings was another story. There were reasons for the uncertainty. For one, Riza deserved better than him. For another, people knowing that she was important to him could put her in danger. Despite the fact that they weren't currently in Amestris, it was not a safe thing that Roy was attempting to do. There were other things like the fact that in Xing there was a stigma against former slaves, but Roy didn't really care about that sort of thing. But he didn't think he could live with himself if he was responsible for Riza getting hurt.

Maes thought he was an idiot. His friend had expressed the opinion several times that Riza was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him, and that Roy was a fool not to seize the opportunity for happiness that he had. But Roy just wasn't sure, and there was so much at risk. Riza had the potential to be everything to him. And risking her was something that Roy wasn't sure that he could do. Besides, all this was assuming that Riza felt the same way about him. For all Roy knew, she could just see him as her beloved older brother.

He did love Riza more than just about anything. She understood him and believed in him in a way that very few people did. Roy was still bowled over by the fact that she had trusted him with the secrets engraved on her back. He was also still furious that her father had used her for notebook paper, but that was something else entirely. Riza was more than he deserved. Roy had a very good idea of what he might have become had he actually become a State Alchemist before the government had gone crazy. There was very little doubt in his mind that he would have become exactly what Riza's father had feared. And while Roy might not have become that monster, he wondered sometimes if that was the future that he was heading for. If he might become the monster he was seeking to overthrow in that process.

Riza deserved someone who wasn't likely to become monster. Someone who could make sure that she knew how loved and special she was. Someone who would spoil her. Someone who could offer her more than a life of danger and risk. He couldn't give her that. And while it would be hard for him to step aside and let her have a life with someone else, Roy was willing to do that if it meant that Riza would be happy. She deserved a life of happiness.

He let out a sigh causing Riza to lift her head from the book she was reading. She had appointed herself his body guard weeks ago, and even when they were safely inside the walls of his townhouse, she tended to stick close to him. Roy flashed her a smile to counter her worried look.

"I'm just woolgathering. It's nothing to worry about."

Riza frowned a little and set aside her book. "If it's bothering you that much, then it is something to worry about. You've been frowning at the same page for the last twenty minutes."

She crossed the room, her hands come to rest lightly on his shoulders.

"You have been brooding over something for the past few days. What do you need?"

Roy sighed, tilting his head back to look at her. "I don't know."

It was something he didn't like to admit, but at least with Riza, Roy knew that he could trust her with his weaknesses. To his complete surprise, Riza leaned in closer and kissed his forehead.

"Worry about what you can change and let the rest go. You are doing what you can."

He sighed again and leaned into her touch. How did she always know what to say? Roy closed his eyes and spoke without thinking.

"I love you, you know."

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Theme: I Can't Say "I Love You".


	6. A Common Position

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**A Common Position**

Riza gently touched his cheek. "I love you too."

Roy's eyes were wide and dark. Riza wasn't sure if it was because he was surprised by her response or if he was surprised he'd voiced his feelings out loud. Which ever it was though, it didn't keep him from reacting. One of his arms slipped around her waist, and he pulled her closer. Riza dipped her head to brush a kiss across his lips. Roy responded enthusiastically to that. However, their position was a little awkward, so Riza settled for moving so she was sitting in his lap, and they both had easy access to one another.

He kissed her without reserve or holding back. Riza returned his kisses with the same passion. Roy's arms were wrapped tightly around her while Riza's hands were buried in his hair. There had always been fire between them and binding them, but now it blazed to life between them. Riza wasn't aware of much besides the two of them. Roy's confession of his feelings had taken a weight off her mind, and Riza was more than willing to celebrate the admission of both their feelings.

Finally, Roy pulled away from her, rather breathless. He met her eyes, searching for something. Whatever it was, he seemed to find it. Roy smiled up at her.

"So, mutual affection aside, sweetheart, are you sure that you want to get involved with me? It's not exactly the safest thing that you could choose."

She knew very well that Roy just felt obligated to give her that out. He had a tendency to feel responsible for things that were really beyond his power, and he also had a tendency to be overprotective of her when it came to her. And while Roy's words said one thing, but his body said something different. His arms had tightened around her even when he spoke of letting her go. Riza kissed his nose.

"Silly. Like I'm any safer as your personal bodyguard. Besides, I deserve what makes me happy. You've said as much before. You make me happy. It's that simple."

Roy let out a relieved sigh. "All right."

Riza wiggled a little to escape his grip and stood up. "You still have reports to read."

He pouted at her. "But Riza--"

She cut him off, well aware that he would seize upon any excuse to avoid his work. "No, buts. It needs to get done."

Roy sighed but he knew it was a battle he couldn't win with her. He'd tried and failed too many times before not to know that. Riza smiled and settled back down with her book. It seemed that they shared a common position when it came to their feelings. Given that, she was sure that they could work everything else out.

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Theme: Love You Til the Very End


	7. Striking a Balance

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Striking a Balance**

Roy was actually fairly content with his life right at this moment. Despite the fact that he was trying to put together a plan to take back Amestris from a tyrannical and dangerous government, he was pretty happy. Of course, this mostly had to do with the woman asleep at his side. Roy had woken up in the middle of the night and was unable to get back to sleep, so instead he watched Riza sleep. She looked beautiful in the moonlight. Then again, Roy thought she always looked beautiful.

They were making a go of this relationship. It was awkward and strange at times, but Roy felt more right with Riza than he ever had with any of the other girls he had dated. And he would admit to have dated quite a few women over the years. But with Riza it was easy. He never felt the need to wear masks with her or to hide who he was. Riza accepted him faults and all, and she trusted him with her own faults and secrets. They complemented each other and made one another stronger.

Riza sighed in her sleep, and Roy reached out to gently touch her hair. It was longer than when he had last seen her back in Amestris. The long hair suited her. Riza turned heads here in Xing with her golden hair and fair skin. She was quite the exotic beauty, and Roy knew there had been questions about what exactly she was doing with him. Roy ignored them. He knew he didn't deserve her, but he made Riza happy and that was enough for Roy. She made him happy as well. Back when life had been simpler, he had considered courting her more than once, but the fact that her father was his teacher had stopped him. The man could be scary at times, and Roy had still needed him. And he had made it very clear that Riza was off limits to any male.

Now given what Roy knew about the information tattooed on Riza's back, that wasn't so surprising. It still made him burn with anger that his teacher had used his own daughter as notebook paper. It helped to have her in his arms though. Roy promised himself that he would never use this woman so cavalierly. She was far too precious to him for that. Riza was everything. She held his future in her hands in more ways than one. Roy would have never gain mastery of the Flame Alchemy without her help.

The woman beside him shifted, and her eyes fluttered open. Riza smiled sleepily at him and reached out a hand to touch his face. Roy smiled and kissed her fingertips.

"Go to sleep, Roy. You're keeping me up." It was an order.

Roy kissed her nose. "Yes, sweetheart."

She murmured something grumpily and pulled the covers closer to her. Roy scooted closer to her and nuzzled her neck. Riza elbowed him.

"Sleep, Roy."

"Yes, ma'am."

He rest his head besides hers and closed his eyes. Safe and warm with Riza in his arms, sleep found Roy more quickly than he expected.

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Theme: Feigning Sleep


	8. A Perfect Team

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**A Perfect Team**

Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang really were a perfect pair. While Maes was still of the opinion that himself and Gracia were the best matched pair in the world, Roy and Riza were a close second. Maes was more than pleased that they had found this woman. She clearly was good for Roy. She complemented the man in way no one else ever had. Riza kept him on task, kept him from falling into depression, and kept Roy from getting too ahead of himself or getting too arrogant. Maes liked her.

Gracia did too, and that was another point in Riza Hawkeye's favor. Discovering Riza Hawkeye at that slave auction had been a blessing, and with her help, their little conspiracy had moved forward. Things had gone quite smoothly lately, something which both delighted Maes and made him a little worried. Of course, he would attribute some of it to Roy and Riza finally getting around to dealing with their feelings for one another. A blind man could see that they were in love.

And since they had given into those feelings, the two of them seemed to be even more in sync. The fact that Roy was also happy than Maes had ever seen him before also was a good thing. Maes would have actually liked for them to make their partnership official, but he realized that neither of them were ready for that just yet, and that there might be a few problems accomplishing that here in Xing. For all that Riza had been a slave for barely six weeks, she still carried the stigma of being a freed slave. The Amestrians in exile didn't give a damn about that, but some of the allies here in Xing did. Roy was walking a fine line with the issue.

In the end though, Maes knew there would never be anyone else for Roy. Or Riza for that matter. They really were a perfect team, and Maes was more hopeful for Amestris' future because of it. Maes had always known that Roy could make a difference, but the one problem with that was Roy was prone to forget what he could do and mired in what he couldn't do. Riza pushed him. She kept him on the right path and provided him with the support he needed. With the two of them together, Maes was pretty sure they couldn't fail.

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Theme: Close to Perfect


	9. Lady of His Heart

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Lady of His Heart**

Riza was not quite comfortable in Xing's most formal regalia. Then again, she hadn't ever worn a full formal kimono before. Of course, she hadn't ever met with minor royalty before either. She and Roy were off to see one of the highest ranked of Roy's supporters among the Xing nobility today. Ling Yao was one of the Emperor's sons. He was also related to Roy in some manner or another, though Riza wasn't quite sure how. At any rate, it was a fairly important meeting as evidence by both Roy's and her own clothing. In fact, Roy's mother had selected both outfits herself.

And while Riza might be comfortable in the kimono of cream silk patterned with fiery phoenixes, she could fight in it, and that was what was most important. She also did prove a striking contrast to Roy would was dressed in dark blue. Riza kept pace a step behind him as the entered the ornate home. She was on high alert. Just because they were visiting an ally didn't mean they were necessarily safe. Especially given Xing politics. Riza was quite aware they if they got caught in an attack here, there was a good chance that they were simply collateral damage and not even the actually targets.

The two of them were escorted into a less formal receiving room than Riza had expected. There was the usual intricate dance of formalities and greetings before they actually got down to business. Riza couldn't help but noticing that Ling's bodyguard, while faceless to the traditional mask, was rather petite in stature and slightly curvy in shape. Interesting. So the prince's primary bodyguard was female. That explained at least one of the reasons Roy had been particularly insistent that she come today. It would be a common point between the two men.

As she really played very little role in the discussion at hand, Riza kept her attention focused on any possible threats. She polite sipped at her tea and kept an eye on their surroundings. The prince's bodyguard did the same, except she hadn't been given a cup of tea. Riza kept her face neutral, but she inclined her head just slightly at the other woman. The bodyguard returned her salute.

That was all they had time for before the door burst open. Riza had her guns out and was shooting seconds later. The three attackers were down before more than a minute had passed. Once Riza had made sure that there were no more attackers, she surveyed the damage. Both Roy and the prince were fine. The bodyguard's mask had cracked, revealing the face of a woman who had to be younger than Riza. She offered Riza smile.

"Nicely done," her Amestris was hesitant and accented.

"I can't take all the credit. You got at least one of them."

The prince shook his head and grinned at Roy. "I see your point. She's just like Ranfan. No wonder you wanted backing on this."

Riza raised an eyebrow. It sounded like Roy was looking for something besides support for his plans. Roy smiled back at her then spoke to the prince again.

"One of these days Hawkeye is going to be my full partner in every sense of the word, and we can't afford to lose support just because some people can't get over antiquated prejudices."

The prince nodded.

"You're right. I'll see what I can do about it." Then he looked at her and smiled. "We definitely want to keep you on our side."

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Theme: Love You for a Lifetime


	10. Late Nights and Battle Plans

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Late Nights and Battle Plans**

Riza's hand rest gently at the base of his neck. She'd been absent-mindly massaging it while she read over his shoulder for the last fifteen minutes. Not that Roy minded. It felt wonderful, and his neck had been sore for hours. One of Maes' contacts had gotten some rather significant information for them, and it had led to a strategy session that was going on eight or nine hours now. It was a pain in the neck, but the information could lead to their best possible chance of taking Amestris back.

He hadn't been the only one in the military to balk at what was currently going on in Amestris. However, the Armstrong family had both wealth and connections that Roy couldn't match. They had essential become the backbone of the resistance movement in Amestris. They seemed to be doing a fairly good job of it as well. But they didn't have a great many alchemists nor did they have some of the information Roy did. If they had been up against simply a human enemy, Roy had no doubt that they would have managed to take back the country by now. However, what Roy knew that they didn't was the military was currently being controlled by homunculi.

It would take more than just well trained soldiers to beat them. Roy had Edward and Alphonse Elric currently researching everything about the homunculi that they could find. The boys had access to one of Xing's largest libraries, and while this might not be the sort of alchemy most of Xing's population practiced, they did have an extensive collection of texts from Amestris. Roy was hoping they would be able to find some sort of weakness to exploit. Armstrong had proposed an alliance between the two groups, and Roy wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Of course, he also wasn't about to commit to anything without knowing if it was a trap first. Roy wasn't going to risk his people like that. So now began the careful work of making sure the information they had been sent was correct and also beginning to put together some possible plans for working with Armstrong's forces. Roy knew that the plans would probably change a great deal before they were actually used, but it wouldn't hurt to have basic plan in place anyway. Having some basic ideas to start from was better than having to come up with the whole thing from scratch.

It made for some rather late nights though. More than anything, Roy really just wanted to go to bed. But they needed at least some of this ready to send with a messenger tomorrow, and burning the midnight oil was impossible to avoid. He was glad for Riza's company though. She could have sought their bed long ago. But both Riza and Gracia had stayed up with him and Maes while they dealt with all this. Gracia had been keeping them supplied with hot coffee and tea until about fifteen minutes ago when she had dozed off, leaning against Maes' shoulder.

Maes himself seemed to be having trouble keeping his eyes open. Roy had tried to send them both to bed earlier, but neither of them would hear anything of it. He guessed that Maes would drift off in the next half hour or so. It wouldn't be the first time they had fallen asleep over their plans. Behind him, Riza let out a soft sigh, and her hand disappeared from the back of his neck. There was a slight popping sound, and Roy guessed she was stretching.

"I think we should call it a night," Riza's voice was soft but firm.

Maes glanced up from the paper he was reading, probably to protest, but clearly thought better of it. Roy just yawned. He was more than ready for sleep. They had most of the work taken care of. Anything else they could finish in the morning.

* * *

Theme: Late Night Conversation


	11. Unions

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Unions**

Riza stood opposite Roy with Maes and Gracia between them. Since neither of them had any family in Xing, it was Roy and Riza who stood with them for their wedding. The wedding itself wasn't a surprise to anyone. Maes and Gracia would have gotten married at some point, that much had always been clear. It had taken them a little time to figure out just what might be involved to get married here in Xing, but once they had done that, the wedding was only a matter of time. It was still a celebration for those Amestrians in exile, and there really hadn't been too much to celebrate.

Roy was incredibly happy for his friends. It had been clear from the start that Gracia was the one for Maes, and she'd proven it over and over again, including her choice to come with Maes to Xing. Gracia had left behind her family in order to do so. Neither she nor Maes had been able to convince their families that leaving Amestris was in their best interests. Gracia shared a sense of practicality with Riza that Roy was incredibly thankful for. Before they had found Riza, she had been the one to insist on things like eating and sleeping at reasonable intervals.

The excitement of the wedding and the preparation for it had been a welcome distraction from the upcoming work in Amestris. It was looking like some of them would have to be going back sooner rather than later. The alliance with the Armstrong group was working out rather well, but that did mean that they would soon need to put some of their plans into action. It wasn't quite something Roy was entirely ready to think about yet. The wedding also brought up some other thoughts as well. The ones that involved Riza and the future and that included things like weddings and children.

They were thoughts that he had more often than he was willing to admit. Roy knew he wasn't really ready for that yet, and probably neither was Riza, and they had whole country to straighten out, but he did think about it sometimes. He knew that Riza was the only woman he was every going to marry, but that didn't mean he had to do something about it just yet. Still, the thought of Riza dressed in the white silk bride's outfit made Roy a little wistful for the future. It was something that he looked forward to, even if it did make him nervous too.

The official ceremony concluded, and the priest blessed the now married couple. Maes leaned in and gently kissed Gracia. It wasn't a tradition for the Xing ceremony, but no one was going to begrudge them that. Riza caught his eyes and smiled. Roy smiled back. The future could wait for awhile longer. They were going to celebrate with their friends right now.

* * *

Theme: Merging Into a Unified Whole


	12. The Way Back

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**The Way Back**

Riza bit back a sigh and adjusted her hood. She would admit that she was not enjoying this journey very much. The desert was not really her friend. Between her tendency to sunburn easily and her memories for her first trip across the desert, Riza would have been just as happy not to cross the desert again. However, it was the only way to reach Amestris, and she would survive. They were probably only a week away from Amestris at this point. It wouldn't be much longer.

It was a small group of them that was heading back to Amestris in order to meet up with some of Armstrong's people. Herself, Roy, and Maes, of course, but also the Elric brothers on the account of their talent with alchemy. Jean Havoc, Ling Yao, and Ranfan rounded out the group. The Xing prince and his bodyguard might seem like an odd choice to some, but he had insisted, and as he had pointed out, Ling was not necessarily vitally important to the future of his country.

The eight of them had made fairly good time across the desert so far. Riza held some reservations about reentering Amestris. They had some idea of what to expect, but she knew that the reality would be at least a little different than their expectations. And knowing what was going on was one thing. Actually seeing it was another. She doubted it was going to be easy for any of the Amestrians to see what had occurred while they were gone. They all knew that things had gotten worse in Amestris, but again, knowing and experiencing were two different things.

That was one of the reasons for such a small group when Roy had a larger number of followers than had come. Everyone who was here knew how to handle themselves in a fight, and they all could manage on their own if they got separated from the group. They all knew that a misstep in this endeavor could get them killed. It wasn't a pleasant reality, but it was what they were facing.

Riza herself was more concerned about Roy than anything else. He had the bad habit of getting caught up in what had already happened rather than on focusing on what he could do now. It was a trap that he really couldn't afford to fall into right now. There was too much going on and too much at stake. It could be a rather fatal distraction at a time like this. However, Riza was reasonably sure that she could keep him on track.

Whatever it was that they would be facing, though, they would find out soon enough. Until then, they just had to survive this damn desert.

* * *

Theme: Momentum


	13. Waking Nightmares

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Waking Nightmares**

It was worse than any of them had imagined. They had all known that Amestris had changed for the worse since they had left it, but seeing it was something else. It was easier to deal with those changes when they were abstract concepts rather than the reality you were seeing right now. Roy shook his head. If he hadn't already been committed to changing things, this would have done it. It was eerie. There were very few people on the streets, and the ones Roy had seen had been scared. Mostly men, though there had been a few women, but none of them were on their own. They either were with a man or in a group of women. They hadn't seen any children at all.

Not that Roy would blame parents for keeping their children safely indoors. There were groups of armed military personnel roaming the streets as well. The group had seen at least one instance of coercion and intimidation from the soldiers. It had been hard not to interfere. And it all made Roy very glad of the fact that Riza was currently dressed like a man. He knew that she could take care of herself, but he would prefer that she not need to. And they didn't need to attract any more attention to themselves than was absolutely necessary.

It was hard to stay focused though with so much that was wrong all around them. Roy knew that just about everyone in the group was affected, except for maybe Ling and Ranfan. They too were affected by what they saw, but they had never seen this place any other way, so they weren't making mental comparisons to what used to be all the time. It made for a rather grim group. Despite the fact that they all knew they were here to hopefully change things, it was hard to have any sort of outlook that wasn't grim. Until they actually saw some change at least.

Maes signaled him, and Roy nodded. They were slowly but surely making their way to a meeting point with someone from Armstrong's forces. It was slow going to avoid notice from the military groups roaming around, but they should be able to make the meeting in time. Riza gently tapped his shoulder, shaking him out of his thoughts. As much as he would prefer that she was safe, Roy selfishly was glad she was here with him. Not only was she helpful at keeping him focused on what they needed to do instead of what was going on all around them, but she also gave him something else to focus on besides what he was seeing around them.

Roy knew that Riza was struggling with what they saw as much as anyone, even if she hid it well. Making sure that she was doing all right gave Roy something else to focus on besides the circumstances surrounding them. Riza might not really need someone to look after her, but she let him anyway. Sometimes Roy thought that her very presence here was keeping him sane. He flashed her a look, and the two of them made their way from the alley and into a local bar. Time to meet this contact of theirs.

* * *

Theme: Listless; Confused


	14. Many Awkward Meetings

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Many Awkward Meetings**

The bar was dingy, and it didn't have many patrons, though the conversation generated a low hum of sound. It wasn't the type of place that Roy would frequent by choice. In fact, he wasn't exactly feeling very comfortable here right now. If it weren't for the fact that they were supposed to meet their contact here, Roy would have hightailed it out of here after the first five minutes. Roy might be able to handle himself in a fight, but that didn't mean he wouldn't avoid bad situations if given the option. At least there didn't appear to be a military presence in this bar.

They settled at one of the tables in the back, and Maes went up to the bar to place their order. Once their specific order was placed, they would just have to wait for their contact to show up. Roy wasn't entirely sure what to expect. They hadn't been given any sort of description of their contact, only information on how to get in touch with the man. If it was a man; it could be a woman. Not knowing made Roy edgy though. He really didn't like being in the dark. He understood the premise behind not telling them anything about their contact. That way if they were to get caught, they couldn't give up the contact as well. Still, Roy wasn't sure if they were walking into a trap or not.

Maes returned with their drinks, and the three of them sat and waited, every once in a while sipping at the drinks. None of them really trusted the liquid. Five minutes later, it was Hawkeye who alerted them to someone headed in their direction. Roy couldn't see the person without turning around, but he sat up a little straighter. Moments later an older gentleman seated himself at their table.

"I hear you all are interested in maybe buying some land in the area."

That was the recognition phrase. Roy nodded cautiously.

"We might be. There are some concerns about the neighbors."

The man nodded. "Let's see if I can lay some of those to rest."

And then they really got down to business. Roy couldn't help but noticing the way their contact's eyes kept sliding over to Riza. It made Roy more than a little uncomfortable to tell the truth. He couldn't figure out what about Hawkeye was attracting the man's attention unless the man had the inkling that Hawkeye was a she instead of a he. Roy didn't really think the man could figure it out unless he'd met Riza before, and she had shown no recognition of this guy.

Finally, they reached the point where their contact had decided that they were trustworthy enough to take back to the rebels' local base of operations. As they left the bar, Maes signed for any of their team who might be watching. They weren't completely in the clear just yet; this could still be a trap. As the four of them made their way through the streets, Maes and their contact kept up a steady stream of conversation about the man's granddaughter and Maes' wife.

As they entered a rather non-descript apartment building, the older man turned to Hawkeye.

"I'm sorry, my boy, but you keep reminding me of my daughter. You look very much like her, though I don't believe she had a son. A daughter, yes, but I haven't been able to find out what happened to her after her father died. I don't suppose you're somehow related to Elizabeth Hawkeye?"

Riza's rapid blink was the only betrayal of her shock. Roy understood that; Elizabeth Hawkeye was her mother. Riza had never known much about the woman. However, right now wasn't exactly the time to find out.

"I might be," Hawkeye offered, "but that will have to wait I'm afraid."

The man nodded. "Of course. There will be time for that later."

He led them past two security points where he exchanged passwords with other men before they were finally led into a room. There were a number of people bent over a table in the corner, clearly examining something.

"I've brought them."

A tall blond woman straightened up, and Roy felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Of course, she would be in charge. The one military officer that Roy had managed to completely embarrassed himself in front of followed by her completely humiliating him during his short stint in the Amestris military just had to be in charge here. Roy couldn't help feeling rather doomed.

* * *

Theme: Hum


	15. Finalizing Plans

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Finalizing Plans**

Things could have been worse. Olivier might bait Roy, but they needed one another for their plans to work, and Riza seemed to know just when he needed some help keeping his temper. Once it had been clear that this wasn't the set up for a trap, Roy had brought in the rest of their group. There had also been no reason to keep up the pretense that Riza was male either. Of course that revelation had led to some interesting discoveries.

Leroy Grumman, their original contact, turned out to be Riza's grandfather on her mother's side. He had been quietly looking into his granddaughter's whereabouts, but he had been able to find any record of her after her father's death. Finding out that Riza was alive and well had been a delight for the older man, and Roy was glad to find that Riza had at least some family that cared for her. It made him feel better to know that if anything happened to him, there would be others out there who would take care of Riza.

But that was really neither here nor there at this point, and Roy had the feeling that if got himself killed, Riza might shoot him. Besides, when this was all over, then he and Riza would really have a chance to think about their own future. Roy didn't plan out missing out on that. They had two more days until everything would start. It would take that long to get everyone in place. Once that they were, their attempt to take back the country would start. Their plan called for speed in dealing with things. No one wanted to be dealing with a civil war a year from now.

It truthfully was a daunting task if Roy thought about all of it at once, so he tried not to. Roy focused on his alchemy instead, and when that couldn't distract him, he sought out Riza's company. Not that she was ever far from him. But in talking with her, Roy found he could concentrate on something other than the impending offensive for a little while. The waiting was hard on everyone, but it was especially hard when you didn't really have anything to do while you waited. But it wouldn't be too much longer, and then it would all be over, one way or another.

They were poised upon the eve of a battle that would change the future of Amestris. For the better or for the worse still remained to be seen. Roy hoped it would be for the better. It was what all of them were striving for. Roy tried not to worry about it too much. All they could do was their best, and hopefully that would be enough. Roy knew that he wasn't the only one willing to give his life in order to give Amestris a brighter future, though he was rather hoping that it wouldn't cost that. He wanted that brighter future to include himself and Riza, alive and well. In two days they would have a better idea about that future.

* * *

Theme: The Cat's Out of the Bag


	16. The Night Before

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**The Night Before**

Riza knew that they both should be getting some sleep right now. Tomorrow would be here soon enough, and both she and Roy would in need of a good night's rest. However, instead of getting rest, she was sitting on the roof beside Roy. She could imagine why he wasn't asleep. Tomorrow would mostly likely either bring the changes that they hoped for or their deaths, and Roy had a tendency to brood over that sort of thing. Riza had her own concerns and worries about tomorrow.

She and Roy would be with one of the teams that was responsible for taking out the homunculi. It wasn't going to be an easy task, and Riza knew that their success hinged on Roy's skill with alchemy. Roy let out a sigh and rest his head on her shoulder. She would admit that there was something soothing and comforting about sitting like this together. Here with him Riza felt a sense of peace that she wouldn't have expected on the eve of a battle. While she knew that there was no way for either of them to predict what would happen tomorrow, that didn't actually worry her at the moment.

Slipping her fingers between Roy's, Riza allowed herself to think about what might happen if they won. They would have a country to rebuild for one thing. There was a lot that needed to be fixed and not all of it was structural or even physical. That would probably keep them busy for quite a while. There was also the matter of getting the other exiles back to Amestris once things were safe. Some might want to stay in Xing, but Riza was pretty sure that most people would want to return. What they had left to return to would be a question for some. Not everyone had left Amestris by their own choice, and many of them didn't know if anything that had been left behind was still there.

They would be quite busy if they succeeded in their endeavor. But it would be a good sort of busy, and Riza could see herself working beside him for the next few years. It would be a challenge, but she was sure they could manage. Roy let out a sigh and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"We probably should be getting sleep."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to be able to sleep or are you just going to toss and turn for hours and keep me up?"

Roy smiled at her and bit back a yawn. "I think I'm tired enough to get some actual sleep."

Riza nodded and let him help her to her feet. They would face tomorrow in the morning.

* * *

Theme: In the Silence of the Night


	17. In the Aftermath

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**In the Aftermath**

Roy slumped against the remains of a wall, utterly drained. The sun was setting, bathing Central in a red-gold light. While the battle ranged on in some places, it was mostly over. The capitol was theirs. Roy's team had defeated three homunculi, the last with the help of Edward Elric and his group. But it hadn't been an easy battle. None of them had really. Roy was drained of energy and emotional wrung out. He had minor injuries, but others on his team weren't so lucky. Havoc would be out of commission for weeks, but at least he had survived his injuries; he was the worst of their group and had already been taken to the hospital.

Even Hawkeye hadn't escaped injury. Roy took a deep breath and reminded himself once again that she was fine. He had never been so scared in his life as the moment when he wasn't sure if she was alive or not. She had been slashed across the throat. Luckily for them, the wound had not been deep enough to do real damage to her. Still, it had bled heavily, and Roy had been terrified in those moments for her. As if aware of his thoughts, Riza reached across the space between them to touch his hand.

He laced his fingers with hers. They were both alive. That was what Roy needed to focus on. And what came next. Well, besides sleep and food that was. Roy doubted he would be good for anything else tonight. But once he had rested, there would still be work to do. A new government needed to be put into place, and they would need to finish up mopping up from today's battles. Amestrians needed to know they were safe in their own land once again. There would be a thousand other things that needed to get done as well. While the battles might be just about over, the hard part was really just beginning.

Riza gently squeezed his hand, and Roy mustered a glimmer of a smile for her. They would worry about tomorrow in the morning. He wearily got to his feet and tugged Riza after him.

"Let's get back to the temporary headquarters," he told the group. "Hopefully they'll have a meal and beds set up for us."

There were soft murmurs of agreement. Everyone was just as exhausted as he was. But they had won, and that was definitely worth a little exhaustion.

* * *

Theme: First Sunlight After the Darkness


	18. Rebuilding

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Rebuilding**

Roy let out a sigh a relief when the messenger signaled him. As important as the work he was doing was, he could really use a break. Besides, he was looking forward to the surprise he had planned. As things began to get settled down in Amestris, Roy had found himself being put in charge of getting repairs made to the major infrastructure like roads, bridges, and the railways. With Riza's superb organizational skills, they had made quite a bit of progress. At this point, all of the major arteries for travel were up and running. Now Roy was working on making sure that all of the smaller and more remote communities had access as well.

He had also been bringing back those of the exiles that he knew would be useful in the current rebuilding efforts. A group of them would be arriving today. However, what Maes didn't know was that Gracia was with that group. Roy's team had now been in Amestris for nearly two months, and it was clear that Maes had been missing his wife. It had been a small thing to arrange for Gracia to come back to Amestris, and Roy was pleased to be able to do something for Maes instead the other way around for once. Even Riza had thought it was a good idea.

It was easy enough to slip out of the make shift office he was using. The government buildings weren't exactly in the best condition right now, but they were low on the priority list. Food, water, shelter, and sanitation had come first followed by roads and other infrastructure. And then they were making sure the civilians had their homes and stores repaired before they would move on to the government buildings. They wanted the public to know that the new government that was being put in place served them first and foremost.

Riza slipped off to go find Maes while Roy made his way out to meet the arriving convoy. It didn't take long for it to arrive and the passengers to start unloading. Roy helped Gracia out of the carriage. She was good deal bulkier than he had remembered. Gracia grinned at him.

"Don't tell Maes. I want to surprise him."

Roy had the feeling that Maes was going to be very surprised. They had no inkling when they had left that Maes' wife was pregnant. She really had probably just started showing from the looks of things, but it was incredibly evident to Roy that she was pregnant. He grinned. Maes was probably going to be just as unbearable about his child as he had been about Gracia when they had first met. Roy vividly remembered having Gracia's picture thrust in his face and having to sit though entire catalogs of Gracia's charms. Still, Maes would make a wonderful father, and he wouldn't have to worry about his child growing up in an Amestris ruled by fear. That wasn't a bad accomplishment.

He caught sight of Riza and Maes making their way over, and Roy moved slightly to block Maes' line of sight. He and Gracia traded grins and waited. The look on Maes' face was priceless when he finally saw Gracia. Within seconds she was engulfed in her husband's embrace. Roy smiled and slid his arm around Riza's waist when she appeared beside him. It was moments like this that really made everything worth it. Yes, there was still quite a bit of work to do, but they would manage. How could they not when there was so much to look forward to in the future?

* * *

Theme: Mystery


End file.
